Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce

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Slow roasted garlic adds incredible depth, richness, and subtle sweetness to this homemade Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce. Ready in 35 minutes, it's delicious with pasta or as a sauce for pizza, lasagna, and more.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Homemade Mixes, Sauces & Condiments, Main Course, Pizza and Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Author: Jamie Sherman

Equipment

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ yellow onion diced
6 ounces tomato paste
3 whole bulbs roasted garlic removed from peel and smashed
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil and onion. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ yellow onion
Add the tomato paste and roasted garlic. Stir to combine.
6 ounces tomato paste, 3 whole bulbs roasted garlic
Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Add the basil, granulated sugar, oregano, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons fresh basil, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove from the heat and serve over your favorite pasta.

Notes

🥡 Storage

Allow the sauce to cool before transferring it to an airtight container.
Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

♨️ Reheating

Reheat the sauce in a saucepan over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

❄️ Freezing

Cool the sauce completely and transfer it to a freezer-safe container, leaving some room for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

💡 Tips for Best Results

Don't reduce the roasted garlic simply because three bulbs sounds like a lot. Roasted garlic is much milder and sweeter than raw garlic.
Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer and stir frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.
Taste the sauce at the end of cooking before adding additional salt.

🍳 Alternate Cooking Methods

The stovetop method is best for this recipe. Since the sauce only needs a short simmer and frequent stirring, there isn't much benefit to using a slow cooker, an Instant Pot, an oven, or an air fryer.

♻️ Leftovers

Use leftover sauce with another pasta meal, spread it on pizza, layer it into lasagna or another baked pasta dish, or warm it for dipping bread or mozzarella sticks.

📝 Notes

For a completely smooth sauce, blend it for about 5-10 seconds after cooking. Return it to the saucepan and cook for another 5-10 minutes, if necessary, to thicken.
Three bulbs of roasted garlic will not taste like three bulbs of raw garlic. Roasting makes the garlic sweet, mellow, and slightly nutty.

Nutrition